54-in. (137-cm) HC Mower Deck
The 54-in. (137-cm) HC Mower Deck has a deep-deck design.
54-in. (137-cm) HC Mower Deck shown on a Z540R
Reinforced mower edge for durability
The 54-in. (137-cm) HC Deck is stamped from heavy, 9-gauge, 0.150-in. (3.8-mm) steel to minimize the number of welds and provide a smooth underside for reduced material buildup:
-
Deep-deck design of 5.5 in. (14 cm) delivers excellent airflow, so material can be processed quickly and efficiently.
-
Wider and higher discharge opening provides even clipping dispersal for an excellent finished appearance in all conditions.
- Durable plastic deflector spreads grass clippings evenly across the lawn, is hinged, and can be raised to minimize the storage space required.
-
1-in. (25.4-mm) cold-forged spindles are heat-treated for strength and are supported by ball bearings.
-
Standard front roller and two double-captured anti-scalp wheels give a more even mowing job and reduce the chance of scalping.
-
Front edge is raised above the blade plane to allow even cutting of tall grass.
-
Blade overlap is 1.6 in. (40 mm), nearly 0.8 in. (20 mm) greater than many conventional decks, for a clean cut.
-
Mower can side-discharge or mulch.
Mower wash port
Mower wash port with hose connector
A wash port is provided to make cleaning the underside of the mower deck easy:
Rear angle of 6.5-bu (230-L) Power Flow™ Rear Bagger shown on Z525E
Side view of 6.5-bu (230-L) Power Flow Rear Bagger shown on Z525E
An optional rear bagger is available:
- Mower is designed to fill the 6.5-bu (230-L) rear hopper using the Power Flow blower.
- Standard or mulch blades may be used with the Power Flow collection system.
Power Flow blower
The Power Flow blower is mounted on a sturdy swing arm that allows easy installation and cleanout.
Optional high-performance mulching attachment
Mulching attachment components (48 HC shown)
An optional mulching attachment is available:
- This design requires no drilling for initial mounting, less installation time, and reduced hardware-count, that allows for easy removal of the mulch components.
- The high-performance mulching attachment includes formed steel baffles to control the material and special mulching blades for superior performance.
- The special mulching blades that are included can also be used for side discharging or with a material collection system, though the overall cut quality may be slightly less than with the standard mower blades.
- Order: BM23977, 54 HC mulching attachment
Optional MulchControl™ attachment
MulchControl with baffle closed
MulchControl handle
The MulchControl attachment makes mulching more practical for many mowing situations because it not only does an excellent job of mulching but it also allows the mower to be easily converted for times when it is more desirable to side discharge or collect the lawn material. Advantages of mulching grass clippings include:
- A beautiful looking lawn
- Grass clippings not blown onto the operator, driveways, or flower beds
- Less fertilizer use
- Elimination of the effort needed to dispose of clippings
MulchControl is an innovative, simple design that is easy to use and maintain:
- The MulchControl attachment includes baffles to control the flow of material under the deck.
- The left mower blade area is completely enclosed and optimized for mulching, thus will mulch even when the mower is in the side-discharge mode.
- Baffles around the center and right blades are optimized for mulching when the discharge baffle is closed.
- The MulchControl handle is located on top of the mower deck and used to open and close the discharge baffle.
- The operator is required to get off of the machine in order to engage or disengage mulch mode.
- Changing from mulching to side discharge or vice versa takes only a few seconds.
MulchControl is well-suited to the following mowing situations:
- Usually mulch, but side-discharge when grass gets too long
- Usually side discharge, but would like to be able to close the chute to control clippings
- Always mulch a main lawn, but often side discharge secondary lawns
- Bag clippings, but want to go farther before emptying bags
MulchControl puts the operator in control of the clippings. Now the operator can have all the benefits of mulching with the ability to easily change to side-discharge or bagging when needed.
MulchControl limitations
While in the side-discharge mode, MulchControl will still mulch about one third of the material. Therefore, the side-discharge mode is essentially a partial-mulch mode. This can be an advantage when side discharging or bagging, as it helps to reduce the amount of material being discharged. Other times this could work as a disadvantage:
- When cutting strong southern grasses, such as Zoysia and Bermuda
- When cutting in wet, high-growth conditions, such as those found in the Pacific Northwest United States
- When optimum bagging and lawn clean-up is desired
MulchControl compatibility
MulchControl is a field-installed attachment. Mulching blades are included:
- MulchControl is available for 2015 and later EZtrak™ Z625 and Z655 (SN 170,001-).
Order:
- BM25215 MulchControl attachment (54 HC)